Horse-detacher



NTEQD STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN E. NORWOOD, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

HORSE-DETACHER' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.510,284, dated December 5, 1893.

Application filed January 28, 1893- Serial No- 460,029. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN E. NORWOOD, a citizen of the United States,residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Vehicle-Shafts, of which the following isa specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in vehicle shafts to adapt thesame for attachment of the harness, without the use of single-tree,traces, shaft-loops or tugs, and with only one point of at achment oneach side, and also with provision for cushioning the strain in pullingand backing.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure 1, is a vertical, longitudinal section, through the wagon bodyand running gear, and showing the releasing device, in side elevation.Fig. 2, is a top plan view of the shafts and a portion of the wagon bodyand showing the harness. Fig. 3, is a detail of the weighted cam, forcontrolling the releasing device. Fig. 4, is a detail of the groovedroller shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 5, shows an inside, side-elevation of theshaft and harnessattachment. Fig. 6, shows a longitudinal section on theline 6-6, of Fig. 5. Fig. 7, shows a cross-section on the line 7-7, ofFig. 5. Fig. 8, shows a side View of the slide-piece, with the casing Fof the lock removed, and the neck of the shank of the harnessattachment, in cross-section. Fig. 9 shows a similar view of the lock,the parts thereof being in the released condition. 7

In carrying out my invention, I provide a metallic tubular shaft, orshaft-end, A, with a suitable cap, a, fastened on its outer extremity,and a tongue, I), projecting from the other or inner extremity, forfastening the tubular shaft-end, to the shaft proper, A, over which itfits,-a bolt, a, also passing transversely through the shaft proper, andshaft end, to fasten them together.- Said shaft-end, has a longitudinalslot, (1, in one side and extending out of its inner extremity, wherebyit will be seen, that should the shaftend become loose on the shaftproper, owing to the shrinkage of parts, the shaft-end may be contractedby tightening up the bolt, a, so as to have it tightly fit the shaft. Aslideway 0, extends on both sides of the slot, a portion of its length,and projects, over the rounded surface of the shaft, to form slide Ways,or flanges, c. The end of the tubular shaft is tapered, and the threadedend of the headed-bolt, B, is externally secured to said tapered end, bythe cap-nut, a, which turns loosely on the shaft-end, and which may beextended'as shown, to form the shaft-end. The head of the headed-bolt,has a screwthreadf, cut thereon, and one end of a spiral spring, 0,engages the said thread. This spring occupies the tubular shaft-end, andits opposite end engages a screw-thread,f, on a block, D, movablelongitudinally in said shaft end. This spring occupies the tubularshaftend. A neck, E, formed integral with the block, engages the slot(1, in the tubular shaftend and connects the said block, with aslidepiece, 0, on the exterior of the shaft, and formed with clips, g,which take under the flanges, c, of said slide-way, and hold theslide-piece on the same.

, The foot-piece, F,has a slide-way, h, formed by the clips, h, toreceive a harness attachment, and a case F, for a lock. In the presentinstance the harness attachment comprises a center-piece or frame, G,having four loops to which the backhand, belly-band, tugstrap, andbreeching are respectively attached. A foot-piece, F, is secured to thesaid center-piece by the shank, t. The center-piece however is notlimited to the construction shown because its form may be varied withoutdeparting from my invention. Said foot-piece, is adapted to fit theslide-way, h, and a lock in the casing F, holds said footpiece in theslide-way. This lock,in the present instance, comprises a latch, n, forengaging the end of the foot-piece, F, and pivoted at the middle, saidlatch, having an arm, n, projecting into the slide-way, h. A springactuated bolt, 19, sliding in bearings m, in the casing F, is arrangedto hold the latch in engagement with the foot-piece, F, and uponwithdrawing the bolt, the foot-piece, may push the latch out of the wayand. pass out of the slide-way. The bolt,has a shoulder, g, which looksbehind ashoulder, g, on the latch, and is thereby prevented from pushingthe latter out again. When the piece F, is inserted, into its slide-wayagain, it will encounter the projecting arm, 'n, and thereby throw thelatch, 71, out behind the foot-piece, whereupon the bolt springs outbehind the latch, and holds it in this locked position. The bolt is madewith a trigger, p and an arm,p formed integral therewith, projecting outof the loclecasing, and by means of a pull on either this trigger, or onthe arm-piece, the bolt may be readily withdrawn and the horse releasedfrom the shafts. A guard, 0'. protects the trigger to prevent anaccidental release.

Since all my harness centers at one point, by means of a very simpledevice, I am enabled to instantly release the horse from the wagon, incase he should run away, or when it is desired to unhitch him. Thisdevice is illustrated incidentally in Fig. 1, of the drawings, in whichthe letter T,is a grooved roller, journaled in bearings 25, in the plate'6, to the bottom of the wagon, as shown, though this location is merelyone of convenience, as it might be placed anywhere. A cord or strap, S,passes under this roller and through the bottom of the wagon, to theshaft-brace, A Here it is divided longitudinally into two parts, whichpass, one under each shaft, to the arm,p of the trigger, p Eyes, 8',attached to the shafts, serve as guides for the cord. Thehorse maybedetached at an y time by simply giving a pull on the releasing cordabove mentioned. The weighted cams, s, are

pivoted to the shaft, on the under side thereof, and the releasing cordruns between the biting end, .9 of the cam, and the shaft. The

cam is so disposed that it will permit the strap to be drawn toward thewagon, but locksit f 1'0111 being drawn the other way, so that a pull onthe strap, if not sufficient to entirely release the bolt, will at leastdraw the strap tight. The cam will secure it in its taut condition, andwhen the horse moves forward, the pulling strain will come on thereleasing strap, between the points where the cam grips it, and where itis attached to the arm of the trigger. As the horse moves forward thespring in the shaft gives, the sliding piece moves forward, and sincethe trigger is held stationary and cannot move, the bolt will be drawnback and the sliding piece will pass out from the slideway, thusentirely releasing the horse.

It will be seen that the attachment to, and detachment from the shafts,of a horse, is a very simple and quickly accomplished affair.

The spring, 0, serves to cushion the pull and backward strain, and casesthe horses shoulders, and also does away with the socalled horse-motion,as the springs take up the jerks and jars. The single spring shown,serves for cushioning the forward and the backward movement,coimpressingin one instance and expanding in the other.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patentl. The combination of the tubular vehicle shaft havinga longitudinal slot; a spring in said tubular shaft and secured thereto;a slide-piece fastened to the spring and moving in said tube; and acenter piece for the attachment of the parts of theharness and connectedwith the said slide-piece by means passing through the said slot.

2. The combination of the tubularyehicle shaft having a longitudinalslot; a slide-way on the shaft and having projecting side flangesparallel with said slot; a spring in the tubular shaft; a slide-piececonnected with the spring and having clips which take over the flangesof the slide-way; a center-piece or frame for the attachment of parts ofthe harness; and means for securing the said centerpiece to the saidslide-piece, as described.

3. The combination of the tubular vehicleshaft having a longitudinalslot; a spring within the shaft; a bolt having one end attached to thespring, and screw threads at its other end; a cap-nut which turnsloosely on the end of the shaft and engages the threaded end of thebelt; a sliding piece moving on a slide-way outside the vehicle shaftand connected to the rear end of the spring through the slot in thetubular shaft; a center-piece for the attachment of parts of theharness; and means connecting the said slide-piece with thecenter-piece.

4. The combination of a vehicle-shaft; a slide-way on said shaft; acenter-piece for the attachment of parts of the harness and having afoot-piece to engage said slide-way; means to lock and hold the saidcenter-piece; a trigger to release the said center-piece when the animalis to be detached from the shafts; a pivoted cam having one endweighted; and a releasing cord or strap connected with said trigger andpassed over said cam thereby permitting said cord to be drawn freelytoward the vehicle-body but holding it from being drawn the other way,as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature 1n the presence of twowitnesses.

JOHN E. NORWOOD.

\Vitnesses:

ALVAN MAOAULEY, CHAS. B. MANN, Jr.

